Africa: Development Targets

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what grounds they are optimistic that Africa can meet the targets set out in Chapter 2.8 of the Department for International Development's departmental report 2006 for poverty reduction, primary school enrolment and child mortality by 2008; and what resources they will now commit to these objectives.

Baroness Amos: DfID uses international data showing progress towards the millennium development goals (MDGs) to monitor these public service agreement (PSA) sub-targets. These are obtained from the World Bank and agencies of the United Nations, which have in turn obtained data from the countries in question, evaluated its quality and in some cases made adjustments to ensure international consistency.
	Most of our 2005–08 PSA targets for Africa are based on progress in 16 PSA countries. The exception to this is the poverty indicator, for which an internationally produced estimate of overall poverty in the region is used.
	Our view that Africa will meet PSA targets for poverty reduction, primary school enrolment and child mortality by 2008 is based on the difference between the baseline and most recent data, together with an assessment of longer-term trends since 1990.
	For the overall poverty sub-target, although 2002 data show little or no change from the 2000 baseline and there are enormous challenges, there are also grounds for optimism. For example, according to the World Bank, economic performance in Africa in 2004 was the best since 1997. Our entire aid programme in Africa is targeted at reducing poverty. Our bilateral aid to Africa exceeded £1 billion during 2005–06 and we are on track to double aid to Africa between 2004–05 and 2010–11. We have also followed up on commitments made at Gleneagles on specific support to economic growth, such as providing $20 million to the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa, $30 million to the Investment Climate Facility and $20 million to the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund.
	The trend for primary school enrolment is upwards. Latest figures show 77 per cent enrolment; up from 70 per cent in 2000. We will continue to prioritise education. In April 2006, the Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development pledged £8.5 billion over the next 10 years to finance 10-year education plans in African countries.
	Child mortality is falling in many countries (though countries such as Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo still have very high rates). The 2000 baseline child mortality rate across our 16 PSA countries was 157, on current trends we predict it will fall to 147 by 2008. We are continuing to increase our support for building sustainable, basic health services in Africa and tackling important childhood diseases by expanding access to insecticide-treated bed-nets and immunisation. Access to clean water and sanitation is also critical for child health and we are doubling our expenditure on this up to £95 million by 2007–08.

Armed Forces: Ombudsman

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will conduct a survey of the views of members of the Armed Forces on the requirement for an independent ombudsman; and, if so, when the results will be available.

Lord Drayson: We have no plans to conduct such a survey but the views of service personnel are sought on a regular basis and on a wide variety of subjects. They therefore have the opportunity to make their views known on matters of concern to them.

East Timor

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What additional aid they have given to Timor Leste since the April 2006 crisis; and to what extent they will support proposals for a larger United Nations presence there.

Lord Triesman: We have not provided any additional aid to East Timor since the April 2006 crisis. The Department for International Development will provide aid to East Timor of £2 million per year over the years 2005–08. Some of these funds are being used to support the relief response, including ensuring access to reliable basic services.
	The precise nature of the future UN presence in East Timor is under discussion and we await the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General in this regard. The UK supports a robust political mission, with a focus on governance and capacity-building. We hope that it will be possible to get this up and running quickly.

EU: Foreign Policy

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they support the European Commission's outline plans to enhance the role of the European Union in foreign policy and the pooling of the diplomatic resources of member states.

Lord Triesman: It is important to note that the Commission's recent communication Europe in the World—Some Practical Proposals for Greater Coherence, Effectiveness and Visibility (further information can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external–relations/euw–com06–278–en.pdf) does not seek to enhance the role of the EU in foreign policy, but rather to make the EU's existing external policies more co-ordinated and effective. Further, there are no proposals within the communication to pool the diplomatic resources of EU member states.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has deposited an explanatory memorandum with Parliament setting out the Government's views on the communication. In short, these are that, although we do not agree with all of the Commission's proposals, we welcome the paper as a helpful contribution to an important workstream. It is right that the EU should be considering ways of making its external policies more co-ordinated and coherent, within the framework of existing treaties. And we agree that better strategic planning and better co-operation between the EU institutions and the member states can help this.
	We therefore look forward to further discussions on the Commission communication, and the external coherence workstream more generally, during the Finnish presidency.

EU: Transfer of Powers

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by the Lord Triesman on 6 June (Official Report, cols. 1131-32), whether they will give details of powers which have passed from the United Kingdom to the European Union and those which have passed back since the implementation of the Treaty on the European Union (the Maastricht Treaty) which introduced the concept of subsidiarity.

Lord Triesman: Changes to the EU's competences since the Treaty of Maastricht were made in the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and the Treaty of Nice (2001). The Government submitted explanatory memorandums to Parliament on these treaties (Amsterdam Cm 5090 and Nice Cm 3780) summarising their contents.
	The principle of subsidiarity ensures that,
	"In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action . . . only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved by the Community".
	This principle has been applied in our discussions both with the European Commission and with other member states.

Freedom of Information

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Parliamentary Written Questions are subject to the same terms and exemptions as requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and whether it is government policy to cite exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as reasons for withholding information requested in Parliamentary Questions; and, if so, when such a change of policy occurred.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The reply to the noble Lord's previous Question (Official Report, 16 May 2006, col. WA 28) erred in relying on an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance available at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety–and–ethics/civil–service/pq–guidance.asp. It is not the Government's policy to cite Freedom of Information Act exemptions in response to Parliamentary Questions.

Gold Mining: Environmental Consequences

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the Governments of Chile and Argentina regarding the environmental consequences of proposed gold-mining projects.

Lord Triesman: We have not made any specific representations to the Chilean or Argentinian Governments over the environmental impact of proposed new gold-mining projects in these countries. We do, however, have a strong and ongoing dialogue with both the Governments on environmental issues, which includes regular contact with local mining authorities.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have considered offering Gulf War veterans an alternative independent medical assessment where they believe there has been a misdiagnosis.

Lord Drayson: Veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict and of the current Iraq deployment (Operation TELIC) who believe their health has suffered as a result of their service in the Gulf may seek a referral to the Medical Assessment Programme (MAP). Those concerned should seek a referral having first seen their service medical officer if still serving or general practitioner if ex-service. The MAP is an independent programme: medical confidentiality is observed and all patients are extensively investigated even if not clinically indicated. As at 1 June 2006, 3,286 veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict and 34 of the current operation in the Gulf had been seen by MAP physicians.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information they have on the range, scope and cost of research into Gulf War illnesses funded by the Government of the United States; what comparable research they have funded; and how much has been spent under each research project.

Lord Drayson: The UK Government take a close interest in the research commissioned by the US authorities into Gulf veterans' illnesses as part of their broader concern to understand and respond to illness among UK veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict. Information on this research is published in an annual report to Congress: Federally Sponsored Research on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses. The department has a British liaison officer based permanently in Washington DC tasked both with ensuring that the UK has full visibility of US research into GVI issues and with providing a channel for communicating our own work to interested US parties.
	The UK Government are guided on their programme of research into Gulf veterans' illnesses by the Medical Research Council. The cost of this programme is some £8.5 million. Individual projects with costs (rounded and VAT exclusive) are:
	
		
			  
			 Anthropological study into "Gulf War syndrome" £25,000 
			 Cancer study £30,000 
			 Longitudinal study of changing health in Gulfveterans £165,000 
			 Mortality/Morbidity £435,000 
			 Mortality/morbidity linkages study £10,000 
			 Neuromuscular symptoms in Gulf veterans £325,000 
			 Paraoxonase work £70,000 
			 Reproductive Health study £1.2 million 
			 Systematic literature review of published research £85,000 
			 Testing for squalene in vaccines £10,000 
			 Vaccines Interactions Research Programme £4.55 million 
		
	
	We have also co-operated with epidemiological and clinical studies of UK veterans sponsored by the US Department of Defense; research papers on the health of those veterans attending the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme have been published; and there have been various charges to support and manage the research programme. The costs for these are not separately identifiable.

Gulf War Veterans: Support Services

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What support services are offered to the families of Gulf War veterans; and whether they have any proposals for their expansion.

Lord Drayson: The Ministry of Defence has well established welfare support systems which are available to those 1990–91 Gulf veterans and their families who are still serving and for those who have left the services. Appropriate medical treatment is provided and financial support is available through pensions and no-fault compensation arrangements (including widows' benefits and children's allowances). Practical help is available from the service welfare organisations and Veterans Agency welfare service. We are committed to funding appropriate scientific research with the aim of improving the long-term health of veterans with persistent symptoms.
	On 22 March 2006 (Official Report, col. WS 33) we announced the results of our review of our strategy for veterans. The revised strategy document sets out our approach to veterans' issues and what we aim to achieve through the veterans programme. A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library of the House and it can also be found at: www.veteransagency.mod.uk/vetstrategy/vetstrategy.pdf.

Gulf War: Pensions

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will respond to the finding of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal of 31 October 2005 in the case of Gulf War veteran lifeguard Daniel Martin that it is "highly regrettable that there was such a delay in the Ministry of Defence" linking Gulf War illnesses to a conflict-related syndrome, Gulf War syndrome, as recommended in the Lloyd report.

Lord Drayson: The principal issue raised by veterans claiming Gulf War syndrome before the Daniel Martin decision was that it should be recognised as a discrete medical condition. There was, and remains, no scientific basis for doing this, and this was confirmed by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal decision of 31 October 2005. We have recognised the need to bring an element of closure for those who have sought some acknowledgement that their ill health is connected to their Gulf service. For this reason we welcomed the tribunal's decision that Gulf War syndrome should be used as an umbrella term covering any recognised medical condition caused by service and connected to service in the 1990–91 Gulf War. We have repeatedly made clear that the application of the umbrella term does not, in itself, affect the amount of an award, as compensation is already paid to veterans based on their level of disablement due to service in the Armed Forces, regardless of where it was caused.

Immigration: Involuntary Returns

Baroness Cox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Sudan is defined as an appropriate nation for the purposes of the involuntary return of deportees.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Asylum claims from all nationalities, including those from Sudan, are considered on a case-by-case basis. We fully recognise that the conditions in Sudan are such that there are individuals who are able to demonstrate a need for international protection. We do not however consider that each and every Sudanese national who applies for asylum is in need of international protection.
	Individual Sudanese claimants who have been found by both the Home Office and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection are expected to return to Sudan voluntarily. Those who do not avail themselves of the opportunity to return voluntarily may have their return enforced. We would of course not seek to remove any Sudanese national who has been found to be in need of international protection.

Immigration: Involuntary Returns

Baroness Cox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which nation states are currently defined as unsuitable destinations on grounds of human rights abuses for the involuntary return of deportees.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Asylum claims from all nationalities are considered on a case-by-case basis. We fully recognise that the political and human rights situation in many countries are such that there are individuals who are able to demonstrate a need for international protection. We do not however consider that each and every national from a country with a poor political and/or human rights record who applies for asylum is in need of international protection.
	Individual claimants who have been found by both the Home Office and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection are expected to return to their country of origin voluntarily. Those who do not avail themselves of the opportunity to return voluntarily may have their return enforced. We would of course not seek to remove nationals of any countries who have been found to be in need of international protection.

IRA: Memorials

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the statue of the hunger strikers beside Kentucky Fried Chicken in Newry has planning permission; if so, when it was granted and to which organisation; and, if not, why it was not granted.

Lord Rooker: Planning permission for the erection of a granite base and statue was granted on 11 March 2002. The applicant was the Newry '81 Committee.

IRA: Memorials

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the memorial to Sinn Fein/IRA hunger strikers at Fordcross, Crossmaglen, County Armagh has planning permission; if so, when it was granted and to which organisation; and, if not, why it was not granted; and
	Whether the memorial to Burns and Morley, two bombers killed by their own bomb, in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has planning permission; if so, when it was granted and to which organisation; and, if not, why it was not granted; and
	Whether the hunger strikers memorial at the Dublin Road in Newry has planning permission; if so, when it was granted and to which organisation; and, if not, why it was not granted.

Lord Rooker: The Planning Service is investigating these cases. I will write to the noble Lord when the position in respect of the memorials has been clarified.

Iraq: Military Casualties

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much time elapsed on average before financial compensation was awarded and received in respect of those killed by hostile action while on active service in the current conflict in Iraq for (a) dependants of Commonwealth service personnel serving in the British Armed Forces; and (b) dependants of British service personnel killed in the conflict.

Lord Drayson: The information requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained by scrutiny of individual case files. A detailed examination of the 111 cases considered under the Armed Forces pension scheme and the 57 cases considered by the Veterans Agency is now being undertaken, and I will write separately to the noble Lord when this has been completed.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to ensure that official and unofficial relations between the United Kingdom authorities and elected and unelected officials in Israel and Palestine remain balanced, symmetrical and fair.

Lord Triesman: While we have no contact with Hamas, we engage with a wide range of Palestinians and Israelis on a regular basis through our embassy in Tel Aviv and our consulate general in Jerusalem. We also fund projects to engage with civil society and work with them towards achieving a just, two-state solution to the conflict and to alleviate humanitarian suffering.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning the recent shelling of a beach in Gaza.

Lord Triesman: Israel has denied responsibility for the deaths of seven Palestinians on 9 June. However, we remain concerned that Israel's response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip should be proportional. We call on Israel to ensure that civilians, particularly children, are not harmed. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary discussed this matter with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni on 12 June. We also continue to call for an end to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on Israeli targets and for calm in the Occupied Territories. We support President Abbas's efforts to restore order, using legally constituted security forces.

Israel and Palestine: Peace Process

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the Government of Israel to make it possible for individual Palestinians to meet their Israeli counterparts in order to discuss peace issues, including in particular Mr Ziad Abu Zayyad.

Lord Triesman: We continue to raise our concerns about freedom of movement issues with the Israeli Government. Restrictions on movement in the West Bank and at the crossing points between Gaza and Israel have increased in the past six months. We have no plans to raise Mr Ziad Abu Zayyad's case with the Israeli Government.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What efforts they are making to help restore an effective ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian forces and internally in the West Bank and Gaza.

Lord Triesman: We continue to call upon both parties to end the current cycle of violence which is having a negative impact on the peace process and costing innocent lives. We urge Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to take steps to improve the security situation and Israel to act with restraint in response to these attacks.

Khat

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will consider imposing a duty on khat analogous to the duties imposed on alcohol and tobacco.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government are not considering imposing a duty on khat.

Licensing: Live Entertainment

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of licensed premises in England and Wales that did not previously hold an entertainment licence now have authorisation for the performance of live music.

Lord Davies of Oldham: This information is not held centrally.
	However, the DCMS intends to commission research this year to assess the take-up of new licences permitting live music performances in England and Wales. This research will provide a measure of the number of smaller venues that did not previously hold an entertainment licence and which have secured the authorisation to provide live music under the new system.
	Once completed, copies of the results of this research will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses and published on the DCMS website at www.culture.gov.uk.

Licensing: Live Entertainment

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis they assess that there is a flourishing live music scene in bars and restaurants.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government's last assessment of the live music scene in England and Wales was made in 2004. This was based on findings from a survey by MORI, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that year, about live music performances in a wide range of smaller venues, including bars and restaurants, in the preceding 12 months. The survey findings are available on the DCMS website (www.culture.gov.uk), and copies were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The DCMS intends to commission research this year to assess the take-up of new licences permitting live music performances in England and Wales. A repeat of the 2004 baseline study will take place in 2007, when the Licensing Act 2003 will have been fully operational for more than a year, to measure its impact on live music.

MMR/MR Vaccine Litigation

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 2 February (WA 72–3) concerning MMR/MR vaccine litigation, whether they will identify the three lead barristers who were paid £463,782, £445,601 and £424,659; what was the hourly rate of pay for each barrister; and whether these payments represent "risk rates" such that the service providers would be unlikely to profit from a case which was unsuccessful.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Final assessment for the advocates involved with this litigation have yet to be made by the courts. I will therefore write to the noble Earl with the information requested when the final payments have been settled and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

MMR/MR Vaccine Litigation

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 2 February (WA 72–3) concerning MMR/MR vaccine litigation, how much legal aid has been spent on (a) solicitors' fees; (b) barristers' fees; and (c) experts' fees in that case; which firms of solicitors, barristers and experts have been involved; and how much legal aid has been spent by each group.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Further to my reply of 2 February (WA 72–3) the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is still awaiting confirmation of the outcome of the final detailed assessment by the court. Once this has been completed, and the LSC has settled the claims, I will write to the noble Earl and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

NHS: Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consultation took place prior to the decision to cancel the bulk subscription for the provision of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin; and which persons or organisations made representations in the past year (a) in favour of, and (b) against such a course of action.

Lord Warner: There was no requirement to consult on the decision not to renew the contract. We have received nearly 900 letters in support of the Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin. A list of correspondents on this issue could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Hospital Chaplains

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken to implement recommendation 14 of the report on central funding of hospital chaplaincy services, which states that all faith groups should be made familiar with the way to apply for grants under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 for the development of services for the minority religious groups mentioned in recommendation 7 of the report; for which organisations grants have been made or approved; when these grants were made; the amount of those grants; and the purpose for which they were made.

Lord Warner: In May 2004, the Department of Health commissioned a review of its central funding of National Health Service hospital chaplaincy, which involved all main faith-based groups. The review contained a number of recommendations in respect of the use of central funds for chaplaincy services in England. In March 2005, the department published a formal response to the review. The outcome has resulted in more support for minority faith groups by redistributing the existing budget more equitably to provide for the religious and spiritual needs of patients while in hospital.
	The following table shows which faith groups received funding to support the implementation of the department's response to the review of central funding of hospital chaplaincy. The purpose of the funding is to support the development of healthcare chaplaincy services that cover England.
	
		
			 Faith Group Grant Recipient Grant Amount Date notified 
			 Muslim Faith Community Muslim Council of Britain £41,225 29/7/05 
			 Free Churches Churches Together in England £41,225 29/7/05 
			 Jewish Faith Community Jewish Visitation Committee £41,225 29/7/05 
			 Hindu Faith Community National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) £8,000 29/7/05 
			 Jain Faith Community National Council of Vanik Associations (UK) £8,000 29/7/05 
			 Sikh Faith Community Sikh Healthcare Chaplaincy Group £6,000 29/7/05 
			 Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy Hospital Chaplaincies Council £5,000 29/7/05 
			 Buddhist Faith Community Tsepagme Buddhist Centre £4,000 29/7/05 
			 The Buddhist Society Buddhist Healthcare Chaplaincy Group £4,000 allocated but not claimed 29/7/05 
			 Zoroastrians Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe £5,000 allocated but not claimed 29/7/05

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 24 May (WA 109), what steps they are taking to address the under-representation of Protestant employees, compared to the number of Roman Catholic employees, in cross-border implementation bodies.

Lord Rooker: Two of the north/south implementation bodies, the Special EU Programmes Body and the Trade and Business Development Body, have determined that there was an under-representation of Protestants within their workforces. Both bodies have, in conjunction with the Equality Commission, developed comprehensive affirmative action plans which include outreach measures to encourage applications from the Protestant community.

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what circumstances a person could be transferred from a department to a cross-border body; and whether such a transfer could involve promotion to a higher grade.

Lord Rooker: Transfer from a department to a north/south body can be either permanent or temporary.
	Permanent transfer can be effected in two ways. Employees of a department who carried out functions which were transferred to a north/south body under the terms of the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 were transferred permanently to the employ of that body. No promotion to a higher grade was involved. Secondly, civil servants in general may apply for openly advertised positions at any grade in north/south bodies and, if successful, may take up their posts permanently having resigned from the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS).
	Temporary transfer may also be effected in two ways. Departments are encouraged to facilitate secondments to north/south bodies, where civil servants have been successful in an open competition but wish to remain in the NICS and the body is content to fill the position on these terms. If the seconded post involves a promotion, then officers revert to their existing NICS grade on return from secondment. Secondly, at the bodies' request, staff may be transferred on loan at their existing grade to meet an urgent need, such as cover until open recruitment can take place.

Northern Ireland National Stadium

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their plans for a sports stadium at the former Maze prison site incorporate a scheme to commemorate Irish Republican Army terrorist activities; and, if so, what they propose.

Lord Rooker: No, there are no such plans.

Palestine: Funding

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the setting up of the financial mechanism to make available funds to meet Palestinian humanitarian and educational needs has been delayed.

Baroness Amos: The quartet agreed to the idea of a temporary international mechanism on 9 May. Since then, the European Union has been urgently pressing ahead with planning. On 16 June, the European Council announced an internationally agreed temporary mechanism for Palestinians' basic needs. The European Commission is now urgently implementing the technical steps so that the mechanism can deliver assistance as soon as possible.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 16 May (WA 28), why the placing of the information requested in the Library of the House would prejudice relations between the Government and the National Assembly for Wales.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The disclosure of the communications between Home Office Ministers and those in the Welsh Assembly Government would inhibit the free exchange of views between the two Administrations.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 16 May (WA 28), whether the exemption cited is applicable given that the exemption under Section 28 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 refers to the National Assembly for Wales and the information requested originates from the private office of the Welsh First Minister and therefore the Welsh Assembly Government.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The reply to the noble Lord's previous Question erred in relying on Section 28 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. That said, if a request were made under the FoI Act 2000 for the disclosure of communications between Home Office Ministers and those of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Section 28 exemption could apply to information which originates from the private offices of Welsh Ministers as these are part of the National Assembly for Wales.

Prisoners: Deportation

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the remarks by the Lord Corbett of Castle Vale and the response by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 3 May (Official Report, col. 280), why the United Kingdom authorities did not consider flying Mustaf Jama from the United Kingdom to Nairobi, from where, with the permission of the Kenyan authorities, he could have been taken overland to a Somali border post.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The noble Lord, Lord Bassam, made clear when asked about this case on 3 May (Official Report, col. 280) that it is not the policy of the department to comment publicly about details of individual cases.

Prisoners: Medical Treatment

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much they have spent in England and Wales in each of the past five years on providing (a) additional secure psychiatric beds in or near existing hospitals; (b) medical services for prisoners; (c) drug and alcohol treatment for prisoners; and (d) drug and alcohol treatment for other convicted persons; and what sums they propose to spend for these purposes in each of the next five years.

Lord Warner: Information on the cost of additional secure psychiatric beds in or near existing hospitals is not available. However, the total expenditure for high secure services for the past five years is shown in Table 1.
	
		Table 1: Expenditure on high secure services 2001–02 to 2005–06
		
			  
			 2001–02 £166.9 million 
			 2002–03 £172.3 million 
			 2003–04 £184.5 million 
			 2004–05 £206.0 million 
			 2005–06 £215.8 million 
		
	
	Note:
	In addition the National Health Service opened a high secure dangerous and severe personality disorder pilot at Rampton High Secure Hospital in 2004–05. The expenditure on this is as listed below and is excluded from the above.
	
		
			  
			 2004–05 £12.3 million 
			 2005–06 £12.9 million 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health.
	Information on expenditure on medical and psychiatric care for prisoners in the publicly run prisons in England is shown in Table 2.
	
		Table 2: Expenditure on prison healthcare in England -- 2002–03 to 2006–071
		
			  
			 2002–03 £117,615,000 
			 2003–04 £139,705,000 
			 2004–05 £158,002,000 
			 2005–06 £177,511,000 
			 2006–07 2£193,971,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1The figures quoted include amount spend on mental health in-reach services in both publicly and privately managed prisons.
	2The figure for 2006–07 also includes an amount to cover the cost of implementing Agenda for Change, backdated to October 2004, for prison healthcare staff who have transferred to the NHS.
	Source:
	Department of Health.
	Individual drug treatment expenditure on drug and alcohol treatment for prisoners is not collected centrally. Additional drug treatment funding allocated to prisons globally over the past five years is shown in Table 3.
	
		Table 3: Additional drug treatment funding allocated to prisons 2001–02 to 2005–06
		
			 Intervention 2001–02 £ million 2002–03 £ million 2003–04 £ million 2004–05 £ million 2005–06 £ million 
			 Clinical services (detoxification and/or maintenance-prescribing) 7.30 7.30 11.30 11.30 11.30 
			 Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice & Through-care services (CARATs) 12.91 14.30 17.40 23.20 26.70 
			 Drug rehabilitation programmes 7.09 7.10 9.00 13.90 19.40 
			 Juvenile substance-misuse service (JSMS) — — — 2.30 3.10 
			 Total 27.30 28.70 37.70 50.70 60.50 
		
	
	Source:
	Home Office.
	There is currently no central funding for implementing the Alcohol Strategy for Prisoners (introduced December 2004). A number of initiatives are under way locally but such spend is not recorded centrally.
	For drug and alcohol treatment for other convicted persons, the drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) and, since April 2005, the drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR) of the community order, which has gradually replaced it, are the only community sentences which require the offender to attend drug treatment. Funding for DTTOs and DRRs over the past five years is shown in Table 4.
	
		Table 4: Funding for Drug Treatment and Testing Orders and the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement 2001–02 to 2005–06
		
			 Year Amount paid to pooled treatment budget to fund DTTO/DRR treatmentand testing in England(£m) Allocation to probationareas to fund DTTO/DRR supervision and enforcement costs in England and full DTTO/DRR costs in Wales (£m) 
			 2001–02 14.8 21.2 
			 2002–03 20 16 
			 2003–04 29.7 24 
			 2004–05 42 34 
			 2005–06 42 39 
		
	
	Source:
	Home Office.
	Additionally, £3 million was made available in 2005–06 to the Prospects programme, a pilot which provides offenders with a history of drug misuse with seamless support from prison to the community in a residential setting.
	DTTO and DRR allocations are projected to remain the same in 2006–07. The 2006–07 allocation for Prospects is £3.8 million.
	There is no dedicated funding provided by Government to support the provision of alcohol treatment to offenders under probation supervision. Instead, each probation area determines the amount of its annual probation funding allocation to spend on alcohol treatment. Information about alcohol treatment spend by probation area is not centrally available.
	Funding plans for any of these programmes and services for the next five years have not yet been finalised, although they are all ongoing.

Railways: France and Spain

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that the construction of a new freight-only railway line between France and Spain across the central Pyrenees (the Central Pyrenees Crossing or TCP) should be a priority for European Commission spending.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The freight-only railway link across the Pyrenees is part of priority axis 16: Sines-Algeciras-Madrid-Paris. This is one of the 30 priority projects of the Trans-European Network (Transport) which were adopted in the 2004 guidelines. There are currently four priority projects in the UK: the Channel Tunnel rail link, the west coast main line modernisation, the Ireland-UK-Benelux road link and the road/rail axis between Ireland and mainland Europe. Funding for the Trans-European Network (both priority projects and other schemes) is allocated by the European Commission and the Government aim to achieve a fair level of funding for projects in the UK.

Regional Development Agencies

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jim Knight, on 20 April (Official Report, col. 208), how much money has been contributed to the regional development agencies from the vital villages and market towns initiatives; and whether it is earmarked for those uses.

Lord Rooker: In line with our Rural Strategy 2004, Defra has devolved decision-making on delivery of economic and social regeneration policies to regional and local levels. This includes areas of activity such as those formerly covered by the Countryside Agency's vital villages and market towns programmes, and builds on the RDAs' current responsibility for economic regeneration and sustainable development across England.
	We have increased Defra's contribution to the Regional Development Agency Single Pot by £21 million to £73 million to reflect these additional responsibilities to deliver improvements in rural productivity and access to services. This additional funding of £21 million, running for three years (from 2005–06 to 2007–08), will ensure RDAs target resources at those rural areas and communities that need it most.
	RDAs, working in partnership, will decide how to use their resources to meet national targets and address regional needs. Through the devolution of responsibilities to the RDAs and increases in their resources, rural delivery will become more responsive to local priorities and better focused on areas and people that need it most.

Schools: County Tyrone

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to support and develop St Joseph's High School in Plumbridge, County Tyrone.

Lord Rooker: At the request of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, acting on behalf of the Trustees of the Diocese of Derry, the Western Education and Library Board published development proposal No. 186 on 27 April 2006 proposing to discontinue St Joseph's High School, Plumbridge, from 1 September 2007 or as soon as possible thereafter. The publication of the development proposal initiated a two-month period during which representations, including objections, can be made to the Department of Education. Following the consultation period, the Minister with responsibility for education will make a decision on the development proposal in light of all the information provided.

Sex Offenders

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they propose to review their policy on the release of sex offenders in Northern Ireland after offenders have served half their sentences.

Lord Rooker: Last year, the Northern Ireland Office undertook a public consultation on the Review of the Sentencing Framework in Northern Ireland. Consultees were asked to consider a range of sentencing disposals, including indeterminate and extended public protection sentences. The Government will shortly be examining policy options considered in the review and the responses to the consultation.

Sex Offenders

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In each of the past five years, how many sex offenders have been released after serving only half their sentences; and, of that number, how many have since reoffended in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The table gives the number of determinate immediate custody prisoners, whose primary offence was a sexual offence, who were released from prison at "end of sentence" in each of the past five years. This normally means that the prisoner has served half their sentence.
	
		
			 Year Number discharged 
			 2001 57 
			 2002 57 
			 2003 47 
			 2004 66 
			 2005 49 
			 Total 276 
		
	
	Statistics from the 2001 adult (17 years and older) reconviction dataset indicate that 10 of the sex offenders contained in the custody discharge cohort were subsequently reconvicted within two years of their date of discharge in 2001. None of the 10 was reconvicted for a sexual offence. Reconviction data are not yet available in respect of those convicted after 2001.
	It should be noted that the adult reconviction dataset only counts the first discharge from prison for an individual in that year and is based on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included. The 2001 reconviction dataset accounts for subsequent convictions, up to and including 31 December 2003.

Sex Offenders

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many sex offenders in Northern Ireland are eligible for release after serving only half their sentence before the end of 2006.

Lord Rooker: There are currently 29 determinate immediate custody prisoners in Northern Ireland whose primary offence was a sexual offence and who are expected to be released in 2006, assuming 50 per cent remission.

Sport: Gambling

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each year since 2000, what was the total amount gambled on each sport.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government do not hold statistics on the total amount bet on each sport. This is commercially sensitive information, kept by betting operators.

Sport: Gambling

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What agreements are in place between international and other European Union member states to exchange betting information on sporting events run in the United Kingdom.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There are no formal arrangements in place to exchange information on betting on UK sporting events with other countries. However, the Gambling Commission works closely with gambling regulators in other jurisdictions on a range of issues, including mechanisms for exchanging information on gambling operators and procedures to address illegal practices in gambling.

Sport: Gambling

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What agreements exist for voluntary donations from the betting industry to sport's governing bodies.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government are aware of one voluntary arrangement, the British Greyhound Racing Fund, through which the betting industry contributes to greyhound racing.

Sport: Gambling

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions have taken place with the sports Ministers of other European Union member states to combat illegal betting in sport.

Lord Davies of Oldham: My right honourable friend the Minister for Sport outlined the Government's internal arrangements to protect the integrity of sporting events on which betting takes place with Jean-Franc"ois Lamour, French Minister for Youth, the Sports and Community Life at a recent meeting in Paris. The Minister for Sport has subsequently written to Monsieur Lamour explaining these arrangements in more detail.

Sport: Work Permits

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What checks are conducted by Work Permits UK to ensure that individual sportspersons fulfil the criteria laid down in the government guidelines.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Work permits are issued to the employer and not individual sportspersons. The employer must provide independently verifiable evidence of the person's sporting ability, usually in the form of statistics about the frequency and level of participation in the sport, to demonstrate that the individual meets the current work permit criteria. If necessary, inquiries may also be made of the relevant governing body before a decision is made.

Street Lights

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the expected or target time for electricity supply companies to connect up street lights after they have been erected by highway authorities; and, if no such target exists, what period of time is reasonable before the connection takes place.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There are no formal targets attached to connecting street lights. However, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has worked with highway authorities and electricity distribution companies to develop a trial service level agreement (SLA) for unmetered services, including new street lighting connections, fault repairs and the provision of quotations. Ofgem has monitored the performance of electricity distribution companies under the SLA since April 2005 and is currently undertaking a benchmarking exercise to assess the operational impact of the trial and to establish suitable performance indicators. Under its review of competition in connections, Ofgem will consider the success of the trial and the need to establish formal standards of service and associated penalties.

Tristan da Cunha

Lord Swinfen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What department is responsible for medical services on Tristan da Cunha.

Lord Triesman: The medical services on Tristan da Cunha are provided by its own medical department. The medical department is staffed by a team of local nurses and an expatriate medical officer, who is provided under a healthcare contract funded by the Department for International Development.

Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 7 June (WA 189) concerning the Ulster-Scots Agency, whether the agency has been informed of a possible increase in its budget in 2007; and, if so, by how much it will increase.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 7 June (WA 189) and can also confirm that the 2007 budget for the Ulster-Scots Agency has not yet been approved by Ministers. I undertake to inform the noble Lord when it has.

Waste Management

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 7 June (WA 199–200), what types of factors are relevant to the determination whether or not an offence has been committed under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Lord Rooker: Ultimately, it will be for the courts to determine whether or not an offence has been committed under Section 33 of the 1990 Act. A local authority will decide whether or not to prosecute an individual based on its local enforcement policy and the evidence and circumstances of the individual case.
	I also refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 2 June (WA 62).

Waste Management

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of Professor Gordon McKerron's contribution to articles in the press, they will renew his chairmanship of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Lord Rooker: The Government and devolved Administrations will decide the future of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) as part of their response to the committee's recommendation on the best means of managing the UK's higher activity radioactive waste in the long term, which is due to be delivered in July.

Water Supply: Abstraction

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many applications to abstract or impound water have been handled by the Environment Agency; how many applications have been referred back to the applicants on the grounds of a lack of data on one occasion; and how many applications have been referred back to the applicant on the grounds of a lack of data on more than one occasion.

Lord Rooker: The number of applications to abstract or impound water determined by the Environment Agency is as follows:
	
		
			  
			 1997–98 1,801 
			 1998–99 1,418 
			 1999–2000 1,752 
			 2000–01 1,785 
			 2001–02 1,377 
			 2002–03 984 
			 2003–04 1,021 
			 2004–05 933 
			 2005–06 754 
		
	
	The Environment Agency prefers to discuss a proposed licence application and the data requirements before a formal application is made. Where this has not been done, the agency may have accepted a valid application and then requested additional information where required. The number of times an applicant has been asked to provide additional data is not recorded centrally.

Water Supply: Consumption

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total consumption of water in cubic metres, including a breakdown of consumption per occupant, in the headquarters of HM Treasury in each of the past 10 years.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Total consumption in 2005 was 18,890 cubic metres. The Treasury building accommodates staff from a number of other government departments. Taking account of these occupants, and making an allowance for visitors attending official meetings and events, suggests consumption of around 12 cubic metres per occupant. However, this does not take into account that all the facilities in the building are available to the 1,500 or so staff of HM Revenue and Customs working in the adjoining building. Information for earlier years is not available in this format.

Work Permits

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What checks are carried out to ensure that proper use is made of work permits issued to individuals.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Work permits are issued to employers and not individuals. In some cases, compliance checks in the form of visits to the employer or other inquiries may be made to ensure that the work permit criteria continue to be met.

Zimbabwe: Asylum Seekers

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the Government of South Africa regarding their policy on asylum seekers from Zimbabwe.

Lord Triesman: We have held a number of discussions with the South Africans on Zimbabwean asylum seekers and other migration issues. The most recent discussions took place as part of the UK/South Africa bilateral forum on 23 and 24 May. I raised the issue with the South African Foreign Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, during this meeting and there were subsequent detailed exchanges on the subject between UK and South African officials.